The developmental and evolutionary origins of vertebrate fins and limbs. This project aims to investigate the origin of paired appendages, a major event in early vertebrate history that changed ecolog

Description

The developmental and evolutionary origins of vertebrate fins and limbs. This project aims to investigate the origin of paired appendages, a major event in early vertebrate history that changed ecological opportunity and fuelled the radiation of jawed vertebrates. This project expects to generate new knowledge on the mechanism that drove this innovation, which despite over a century of debate, remains one of the great unknowns of comparative vertebrate evolution. Expected outcomes of this project include uncovering the anatomical changes underpinning the origin of the vertebrate appendicular system. This should provide significant benefits as it will inform our own natural history and provide a paradigm for studying gene network conservation, phylogenetic modifications, and the acquisition of novel structures.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 3104 - Evolutionary Biology. Lead: Prof Peter Currie